Movable poster display apparatus



sept. 27, 1932.

H. G. M UTSCHLER ET AL MOVABLE POSTER DISPLAY APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled June 29, 1.93;

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ORA/EY SePt- 27, 1932- H. G. MUTSCHLER l-:T AL 1,879,416

MOVABLE POSTER DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1931 2 SheetS-Sheet 2Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITI-:D STATESv `Pari-:NT OFFICEY jij HENRY G.MUTSCHLER, 0F ROCHESTER,V NEW YORK, AND HARRY WHITTAKER, OF

MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA MOVAIBLE YPOSTJR DISPLAY APPARATUS Applicationled .Tune 29, 1931. Serial No. 547,664.

d construct the apparatus that it may be made to operate both small andlarge signs or bill posters. A

These and other objectsand attendant advantages of this invention willbecome more ieadily apparent from the detailed description of oneembodiment of the invention, reference being had to the' accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the appara- Figure 2is a horizontal sectional view of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the apparatusshowing part of the mechanism for moving the-signs or posters mountedtherein. j

1n t-he several figures like reference numerals indicate like parts. K

The apparatus forming the subject matter l of our present inventionincorporates a mechanism which makes the apparatusso simple inconstruction and operation thatl 1t requires practically no servicingexcept for the changing of the signs or posters. This perfinit-s the useof the apparatus` at practically any locationA in which electric powerisavailto furnish the motivey power for the operation of it.

As illustrated iii the several figures of the drawings, the apparatuscomprises a suitable frame work l which is surrounded by a Casin ghaving large sight openings in which the signsor posters: are displayed.The signs 1or posters are mounted in frames 2, 2 and are removablyfastened thereto so that they can be readily changed for others. Two ofthe signs lor posters are displayed at a time on each side of theapparatus and two sets of I I` frames are therefore arranged in theapparatus in a manner so that during the operation thereof the outermostframe from one set of frames is moved to the second set of frames on4one side of the apparatus after which thev innermost frame of thesecond set of frames is moved back to the first set at the other side ofthe apparatus. An odd number of frames is preferably used so that oneset of frames will always have one more frame than the other set and onthat account will present a frame that is readily selected for transferwithout interference by the others, as will hereinafter be described.

The frames are located between the horizontal partitions 8 and 4 betweenwhich they slide back and forth during the movement Vfrom one set offrames to the other. Each partition has: a flange in the form of aiiangle iron 5 attached to the front and back thereof and a similar flange6 attached near each end thereof by which the frames are restricted intheir lateral and endwise movements.

The endwise movement of the frames from one set to the other is causedby a pair of moving dogs 7 and 8 which simultaneously engage each framenear the top and bottom ofrit. Each of these dogs, 'as illustrated inFigure 3, comprises a short horizontal arm 9 located at one end of avertical guide post 10. The other end of the vertical guide post isprovided with the connecting arm 11 with which the dog is pivotallconnected to one of the links 12 of the end ess chain 13. The dog,illustrated in Figure 3, is the one which engages the frame near theupper end thereof, the dog, which engages the frame near the bottom,being identical thereto except that its position is reversed in that itsguide post projects upwardly from the endless chain 14 on ywhich it ispivotally anchored instead of projecting downwardly thereon asillustrated in Figure 3.

Two endless chains 13 andy 14 thus move the frames fromone end to theother by means of the dogs 7 yandI 8. These chains travel over two pairof sprockets 15, 15 and 16, 16 which are mounted to rotate on suitablestuds 17, 17A and 1S, 18A. Studs 17 and 18 are located at one end of theapparatus and are fixed, while studs 17A and 18A, located at the otherend, are adjustable with the horizontal i 21 and 22 respectivelyattached thereto and each of these gears meshes with the pinion 23 or 24carried on the vertical shaft 25. This shaft is driven by a worm andgear drive located in the housingl 26 and this drive in turn is drivenby the electric motor 27. The end-V.

less chains 13 and 14 are guided by the angle irons 28 which extend fromone sprocket` to the other and support the chains and guide A, them in astraight line from one sprocket to the other. Mounted parallel to theangle irons 28 but suitably spaced in front of them, are two pair of cambars 29 and 30. Of these, cam bar `29 is adapted to hold the dogs out ofengagement with the frames, while cam bar 30 holds the dogsin positionto engage a frame. For this reason cam bar 29 is provided at each endwith the inwardly angular extensions 29A and 29B, of which extension 29Aoperates to swing the dog outwardly out of engagement with the frames,while extension 29B permits the dog to again swing inwardly toward theendless chain to engage behind one of the frames after it has traveledaround the sprocket and moves vback toward the other sprocket. The cambar 30 encircles the end of the endless chain and at the point where theangular extension 29A of the cam bar 29 extends inwardly, the end of thecam bar 30 flares outwardly to provide a space between the end of thecam bar 29 and the be ginning of the cam bar 30 into which the dog canente-r to pass thru the semi-circular passage formed between thesprocket and the cam r bai` 30. Afterthe dog has traveled around thesprocket it is kept in its inward position and, as illustrated in dottedlines at the right of Figure 3, engages the end of the innerm'ost frame.and proceeds to move it to the left. The frame thus engaged by the dogis then moved from the right of the apparatus tothe left thereof. Whenthe latter position is reached by the framethe second cam bar 29disengages the dog from the frame. For

` this purpose theI cam bar 30 is flared` out atA 30B at the point whereit overlaps the angular extension 29A of the cam bar 29. The dog, afterbeing disengaged from the frame which it has moved from the right to theleft of the apparatus, is held out of engagement with any frame until ithas traveled around the sprocket at the left hand end of the apparatusand is again swung inwardly Yby its engagement with the second cam bar3() in the same manner as described in connection with the es. to theright hand sid-e thereof in thesame manner as described in connectionwith the frame which ha-s been moved by the dog from the right hand sideto the left hand side at the back of the apparatus.

The mechanism so far described operates to shi t or move the signs orposters from left to right and back again, but in order that more thanone frame may be moved in the apparatus in this manner, it is alsonecessary to shift the frames sideways from the front tothe back andback again to the front. As heretofore pointed out, two sets of framesare located in the apparatus, one at the left and the other at the rightof the middle thereof. The particular apparatus illustrated in thedrawings is made to accommodate seven frames oneach side, but only sixframes are located yon 4one side while seven frames are located in theother side. In this way the space in the apparatus taken up by the setof frames-containing six frames will be able to receive the seventhframe of the other set as it is moved from one set of frames to theother. j l

The shi fting of the frames from the front to the back and back to thefront is done b v a pair of levers 31 and 32 and a pair of cam slides 33and 34. Both of these levers are pivoted in the middle of the apparatusat 35 and one end of the lever 32 is pivotally attached tothe slide 33,while its other end projects into the semicircular passage formedbetween the cam bar 30 and the sprocket 17A at the right of theapparatus and normally obstructs the movement of the dog 7 therethru.Lever 31 has its right hand end pivot ally attached to the cam slide 34,while its free left hand end projects into the semicircular passageformed between the cam bar 30 and the sprocket 17 to normally obstructthe passage of the dog therethru. Both of the cam slides have an angularcam surface provided at one end and the cam surface of cam slide 33projects toward the front of the apparatus, while the cam surface of thecam slide 3ft projects toward the rear thereof. With the free end of thelevers 31 and 32 projecting into the semicircular passages formedbetween the cam bars 30 and the sprockets 17 and 17A, the cam slides areheld by these levers in a position in which they do not project into thepath of the moving dog. As the dog enters the semicircular passage atthe end ofthe apparatus, it engages the lever end which projects into itand moves this end ahead of the dog until the end of the lever reaches aposition approximately in line with the centerline of the apparatus, atwhich point the dog can slide over the end of the lever and proceedunobstructed in the remainder of the semicircular passage. ln moving theend of lever 32, as above described, the lever is rocked so that itsother end moves the slide 33 to have its angular cam surface projectinto the straight passage lili a dog moves the slide inwardly to move onafter operating the ratus.

between the cambar 30 and the endlessI chain at the left hand side ofthe apparatus and the front thereof. Similarly the moving of the leverend of lever 31 by the dogl in moving thru the semicircular passage atthe left hand end of the apparatus, causesl this lever to move the slide34 so that its angular cam projects into the straight passage betweenthccam bar and the endless chain at the right hand side of the machine atthe rear thereof. Each of the slides 33 and 34 carries a. crossarm 36and 37 respectively and at each end of these cross arms is carriedagravity operated latch 38. These latches are pivoted so as to swing ina vertical plane and each of the latches is provided with a lug or stop39 which engages the top of the cross arm to limit its downward movementand hold the latch with a portion of thel outturned edge 40 thereofparallel to the upper edges of the frames which the latch overhangs inone of its positions, as will hereinafter be described. The outturnededge l is inclined toward the direction from which the frames arereceived so that as the edge of one of the frames is moved against thelatch it passes under this inclined outturned edge and rocks the latchso that the frame can move on while the latch slides over the top edgeof it. This takes place when a frame is moved from one side to the otherand the latch remains on top of the upper edge of the newly positionedframe until the dog, which has moved the frame, has traveled around theend of the apparatus to s engage a frame on the opposite side. In movingthis next frame the dog engages the angular cam surface of the cam slideby which the latch is carried and as this slide has been held to projectinto the pathof the dog, the so that the latches 38, carried on theopposite end thereof, are moved sideways over the top of the frame anddrop over the front edge thereof as illustrated in Figure 3. The dogcontinues slide and in doing so transfers the frame to the other side ofthe apparatus where the dog disengages itself from the frame and entersthe semicircular passage at the opposite side of the appa- As previouslypointed outeach of the slides has a lever pivotally attached thereto sothat when a slide is moved, as above described, the lever, which isattached to it, is rocked and its opposite end is moved to project intothe semicircular passage located in the side of the apparatus oppositeto that in which the slide is mounted. The dog in its movement thru thesemicircular passage then encounters the end of the lever and moves ituntil the dog can slide over it. The movement of the lever by the dogthon moves the slide attached to the other end of the lever in theopposite direction. The movement of the slide by the lever that isattached to it also moves the set of frames because of the engagement ofthe latches with the set of frames located under the slide. The movementof the set of frames by the slide Vis small but is suilicient to makeroom for the next frame which will be added thereto by the dog as it oneend of the appaj continues to travel from ratus to the other. A v

In this way the dog, in moving a frame from one side of the apparatus tothe other, first engages one of the cam slides and moves it so that itslatches engage behind the set of frames from which it is taking oneaway. This movement of the slide also sets the lever, which is attachedthereto, so that its outer end projects into the semicircular passagelocated in the side of the apparatus thru which the dog will pass afterhaving transferred the frame to the adjacent set of frames. The dogdisengages itself from the transferred frame, as previously described,and then enters and passes thru the semicircular passage to move thelever which has its end projecting thereinto. In moving the lever, theslide attached to the end of it, moves the s-et of frames from which aframe has previously been transferred and thus makes room for a frame tobe transferred from the set of frames to which one has been added.During this next transfer the second cam slide and its lever areoperated so that by the time the dog has transferred the next frame andis ready to move another frame, it can do so without interference.

j lVhile only the pair of levers and cam slides located in the top ofthe apparatus have been described, it is pointed out that a duplicatepair of these levers and cam slides are located in `the bottom oftheapparatus and operate in .unisontherewith to move the set of framessideways while the individual frames are transferred endways from oneset of frames to the other. To prevent the levers 31 and 32 fromrebounding when moved in one or the other direction, the spring lingers50 and 51 are provided and engage the top of these levers to hold themyieldingly in place at the end of each movement thereof.

IVe claim:

l. In a movable poster display apparatus the combination of two sets ofsubstantially vertical frames located adjacent to each other, an endlesschain mounted to travel around the ends and sides of said frames, a dogcarried by said endless chain and mounted to swing thereon, a verticalguide post projecting from said dog and overhanging the edge of theframes, a horizontal arm on the end of said vertical guide post andprojecting toward said frames; a fixed cam bar substantially parallel tosaid endless chain in front of one set of frames adapted to engage saidguide post to hold said dog rigid on said chain with said horizontal armon said guide post engaging the edge of one of the frames of said setand move it in front of the adjacent gagement and hold it out ofengagement with the transferred frame. f

2.' In a movable poster display apparatus theV combination of two setsof substantially vertical frames located adj acent to each other,

' an endless chain mounted to travel around the ends and sides ofsaidframes, a dog carried bj said endless chain and mountedto swingthereon, a Hired cam bar substantially parallel to said endless chain infront of one set of frames adapted to hold said dog rigid on said chainand engage the edge of one or the frames of said set and move it infront of the adjacent set of frames, a second cam bar substantiallyparallel to said endless chain in front of the adjacent set of framesVto move said dog out of engagement and hold it out of engagement with'the transferred frame, a pair of levers mountedl to have one end thereofproj ect into the path of said flog carried by said endless chain, saiddog operating to move said levers and a latch carried by Vach of saidlevers to engage behind each set of said frames and shift said setsbodily and consecutively in opposite directions on the movement Vof saidlevers by said dog.

3. In a movable poster display apparatus the combination of twostationary horizontal partitions, two sets of frames located betweensaid` partitions adjacent to each other, an endless chain encircling theends of said two sets of frames, a swinging dog carried by said endlesschain, successive fixed cam means supported by said horizontalpartitions in .A line with each other to swing said dog alternately inand out during its travel with said chain to engage a frame and move itfrom one set to the second set at the front thereof and engage a frameof the secondset and move it back to the first set at the back thereof,apair of levers mounted to swing centrally of one of said partitions andprojecting in opposite directions in the path lof said dog at each endof said partition, a cam slide Apivotally connected to each of saidlevers and adapted to moveat right angles to the movement of said dog, acam surface at one end of said slides, a latch carried at the other endof each of said slides, said dogs operating to engage said cam-surfacesof sait slides to move said slides inl one direction on said partitionand have said latches engage behind the set of frames `during part ofthe movement of said dog by said endless chain, said dog operating toengage said levers during another part of its movement and move saidslides in the opposite direction to bodily shift l said set of framesbetween said partitions.

4. In a movable poster display apparatus the combination of twostationary horizontal gage the top one ,of said frames and rpermit"l itsendwise movement underneath the latch with the Vlever located in oneposition, said latch automatically engaging the side of one of saidframes with the lever located in another position, an endless chainencircling said two sets of frames, a dog mounted on said endless chainand means for causing said dog to engage said frame and move .saidlevers to have said latches carried by said levers shift the frame withwhich ity has been brought into engagement on the side thereof. 5. In amovable poster display apparatus having a plurality of movable framesthe combination of an endless chain, a dog mounted on said chain andadapted to swing in and out relatively thereto, fixed semicircular canimeans at each end of said chain and uniformly .spaced therefrom toprovide a semiirculai passage between said ends of said chain and saidcam means, a pair of levers, said levers being mounted' to swing andproject into said seinicircular passage at one end of their.l swingingmovement and held withdrawn from said seinicircular passage at the otherend of their swinging movement, said dog operating tomove said leversfrom the one position to the other on its movement.

, combination of an endless chain, a dog mounted on said chain andadapted to swing in and out relatively thereto, fixed semicircular ammeans at each end of said chain and uniformly spaced therefrom toprovide a semicircular passage between said ends of said chain and saidcam means, a pair of leversv` said levers being mounted to swing andproject into said semicircular passage at one end of their swingingmovement and held withdrawn from said semicircular passage at the otherend of their swinging movement, said dog operating to move saidleversfrom the one position to the other on its movement by said chain thrusaid semicircular passage, said dog operating to move one of said framesendways and said levers operating to move one of said frames sideways, ayielding spring linger engaging each of said levers to hold said leversyieldingly in their end positions.

HENRY G. MUTSCHLER. HAR-RY YVHITTAKER.

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